


Twilight Theater

by Zinae



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst, Bad idea Red, Denial is a river, Descriptions of war, Gen, Gorish themes, Haha all the angst, Help, I wanted this to be something floofy and it ran away from me, Lance is precious, Lance suffers a lot in this one, M/M, Overprotective Red, Poets of the fall are my life, Prepare for a million ocs, Prosthetics, Songfic, for now only implied klance, inconsistent style, more tags to come, please dont hate me, what is this even i swear this has a story
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-01
Updated: 2018-11-14
Packaged: 2019-07-23 11:39:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,305
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16158251
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zinae/pseuds/Zinae
Summary: (he was... beautiful)(Too late, the melody is overThe joke seems to be on me cos I'm the one not laughingDown here on the floor)Her presence, her tragic love, soft, so very soft, she enveloped him.She was not motherly, like Blue, more like a fierce protector, a burning fire slowly diminishing into a tiny flame, but comfortable.Passionate with an iron will to keep him safe.(i promised)(not safe too far not sure )“Please…”His chest hurt, his arms were burning, slowly, his fingers felt wet now, that the numbness was losing her hold on him.Void filled with fear and panic.I may be dying anyway.This is our only hope. He wanted to scream but he just sobbed.“Please Red.”( my paladin)





	1. Dreaming Wide Awake

**Author's Note:**

> IN MY DEFENSE
> 
> i wanted this to be soft floof  
> Really i swear but whe I started writing things happened and now... Well, you will see.  
> It will get better I promise.  
> I have plans for this. (More like, 10 chapters this mess and then maybe a sequel if I can muster up the courage.)  
> I won't promise you regular updates. Because while i have this planned and while i am motivated... I have days where I just cant.  
> this is not betaed (I need one) (I also might change everything, reedit this at some point so prepare for changes XD I might tell you in the next chapter... Unless I forget. then I apologize.)  
> I have no idea if I will follow the first idea (probably wont)  
> I may sweep this mess under the carpet to work on that one angsty wingfic i started or maybe the actually soft and precious klance Dadfic I sort of started but then forgot (Brain start braining dammit)  
> So, yeah, enjoy?  
> (Please dont kill me i promise this has a happy ending?)  
> (Kudos to Poets of the fall for making incredible music. This is being written written to their Twilight Theater album, in case no one noticed. Listen to them. Fall in love. Trust me, they are wonderful.)

_ Too late, the melody is over _

_ The joke seems to be on me cos I'm the one not laughing _

_ Down here on the floor _

 

There was screaming and there was laughter. 

Lotor felt like a maniac in that one moment, broken and shattered, lost in his despair.

And maybe it was that one moment, when Lotors life faded away and they held the last remains of his soul in voltrons hands, maybe it was his thought in that one moment, that broke their connection apart.

_ He was just trying to help. _

Lance had understood the prince’s misguided desperation to do the right thing, to prove his worth to a man long dead and a woman who had forgotten his place in her heart.

In that moment, Lance McClain was not as furious as he had been at the beginning of the fight. He was just… sad.

Because… They might have been friends at some point, had Lance not been so very jealous of what lotor had found in Allura, they could have bonded over their respect and adoration of her. Over their feeling of… being not enough. 

In the end, everything Lotor had worked for proved futile and now Lance was holding his last memory in his bloody hands and regretting putting an end to a man with endless potential.

If only he had tried just a little more. If only he had understood a little bit earlier.

If only he had been smarter, more compassionate, more curious. 

More anything, really. 

Something screeched in the back of his mind, but it was the screaming that ripped his bubble of thoughts apart, together with metal limbs. Screams filled his ears, Hunk’s ringing the loudest in his ears, mind, heart, he wanted to reach out, his hands left his controls, but suddenly there was light and colours, screams, the others, himself, loud, louder, too much.

Too fast. 

Pain in his head, pain in his arms, legs, chest. Pain in every corner of his being, in every cell and vein, in every screw and plate and every little bit of technology. 

It was a song of disaster in every little fiber, a dissonant kind of despair burning a path into him.

He almost believed that he had heard Keith scream his name when he lost the last connection to his friends.

And then… silence. 

Deafening, silence, static in his head, static in his ears, he was hanging in his seat, barely held by the belts across his chest, the pain on his skin slowly numbing to a throbbing rhythm. 

Blank and lost.

He was in the dark, he knew that, no more light, no more colours, but he was awake. 

Red was purring in the back of his mind, careful, tired, just as tired as he was, but she was desperate for both of them to stay awake.

Her readings were going wild. Or maybe not. He saw her interface change, from blue to red and back again, constantly. He saw but he did not understand. 

Still, it was easy to follow her voice. Red was loud and insistent, dragging him along, even though he felt sluggish. 

She was waking up but he was falling asleep. 

“Can… home…”, he tried to speak, but he could not form words, his speech slurred, his arms now fully numb. 

He wasn’t afraid. He wasn’t alone. Red was still here, she felt scared, terrified even, but he wasn’t.

Empty was the word he was looking for.

exhausted and empty. The fight was over. They had killed Lotor, they had killed Zarkon. Let the world do the rest.

He just wanted to rest.

Something nudged his mind and he opened an eye. 

Hunk. His smile, his stubborn pout when he was working with Pidge, their babbling while he snoozed in the corner, their laughter when they finally finished another invention. 

the gold of Pidge’s hair as she slept in his arms. him carrying her to bed.

Silver locks falling over a pale face when he found Allura in another corner of the castle, the warmth of the blanket he had spread over her, careful not to disturb her in her slumber.

Coran grinning at his jokes, Coran smiling at him while cleaning the castle, their talks about lost chances, their hopes, dreams. him telling Lance stories of the past, laughing about the antics of King Alfor. Sharing their customs and bits and pieces of their culture. 

they were both so very unwilling to let go and that had created maybe one of the deepest bonds Lance possessed. 

Shiro was a warm hand on his arm, his shoulder, fleeting encouragement and careful scolding.

And then there was Keith, midnight in his hair, secrets in his smile and his obnoxious, uncaring comments. Keith, who did not understand, but he tried, they were friends, he tried and maybe Lance was waking up. Violet eyes, careful kindness, he was waking up.

Red nudged him, she bombarded him with memories. Matt, Commander Holt, Iverson, his parents, Veronica, Blue.

Dear, beautiful, sweet Blue.

Lance felt Red’s almost sob in his head, just how much she wanted Blue with them. He wanted to hug her, but his arms. He could not move his arms.

He could not move his arms.

_ finally awake my paladin _

“Red… my arms…”

_ i am sorry my paladin _

“What... “

_ loss pain light silence alone _

_ my paladin safe _

_ my paladin alive  _

Lance was barely following her rambling, she was screaming in his head, her voice ripping through his memories and feelings, too much too soon he gasped.

She fell silent.

“Where…”

_ too far no others sisters brothers blue gone _

_ nothing  _

“Can you..” Find us someplace to land? Somewhere safe? The castle? home?

He wanted to go home.

_ too far not enough _

_ planet too far not enough _

Energy.

They didn’t have enough energy.

Lance wanted to groan because of course they didn’t have enough but his breathing felt wrong and he could barely form words let alone breathe right. The belt felt wrong, his suit felt wrong he needed air, he needed his friends, a pod, anything.

_ my paladin _

Reds voice burned through him, like his panic, he was numb and lost, alone, alone, alone, not quite but Red was scared, scared, scared.

They both were, now that he could think again. Lance almost wished for the numbness to return. almost.

But they had to find… something.

“Anything…” he whispered, his mind running over ideas, dismissing half, thinking of others, nothing, nothing worked.

No power to start a wormhole, nothing that would get the somewhere safe, he was hurt, Red needed repairs, he just knew that…

And Red was keeping something from him.

_ power _

Great he understood that, but this was their problem right? They had no power. 

_ within _

_ my paladin power within not enough to young too lost _

Something clicked.

Another story from Coran, one of those rare quiet ones, where Coran had gotten that faraway look in his eyes, a dreamy gleam, gentle, careful. Whenever he talked about Alfor like that, Lance understood. 

this was a story Coran probably never told anyone. It had been short, a well kept secret and maybe, Coran never realized what he had told. Lance had forgotten it soon after, willing to leave Coran to his memories of a love lost. He had hugged the man and kept cleaning, but now?

Corans words were like an echo.

_ “That was the only time I witnessed what Alfor was like when furious. Red eyes were glowing gold, her lights red like fire, both of them a mass of blazing fury like midsummer rains. And yet, the crystal stayed silent. Alfor tore that councilman a new one, almost caused an international scandal. i asked him later. what had happened, but before he could answer, he fainted right into my arms. Zarkon told me later that sometimes, the lions drew power from their paladins, instead of the crystals, but the bond tended to take quite the hit because immortal life doesn’t mix well with us mortals and we… well, we need our life energy. so the lions try not to. We never spoke of it and alfor never said anything about this incident. Still, it was quite the feat for our Queen, saving the talks and everything. I had fun as well, the Osterians were quite the people…” _

_ my paladin _

“Do it.”

His voice rang clear in the cockpit. 

Raspy, tired, but clear, his intent sure.

Never confident, but sure.

_ life too short not enough no no my paladin i can not _

_ hurt broken tired  _

_ home too far _

“Just the…. closest planet… please Red… I…” Can’t lose you too. You need help my friend. 

Her presence, her tragic love, soft, so very soft, she enveloped him. 

She was not motherly, like Blue, more like a fierce protector, a burning fire slowly diminishing into a tiny flame, but comfortable. 

Passionate with an iron will to keep him safe.

_ i promised _

_ not safe too far not sure  _

“Please…”

His chest hurt, his arms were burning, slowly, his fingers felt wet now, that the numbness was losing her hold on him.

Void filled with fear and panic.

I may be dying anyway.

This is our only hope. He wanted to scream but he just sobbed.

“Please Red.”

_ my paladin _

“Do. it.”

_ please _

“Do it.”

Please.

Reds presence grew in his head. She did not answer anymore, only grew and grew and grew. Her interface changed to red and stayed that way. Golden sparks filled his vision, until he saw the world from her eyes.

The vast space, the eternal void burned with colours, energy flitting around, all over the place and one soft, white path right in front of them.

Her 

Him

_ a path my paladin follow safe sleep _

He was tired again. 

And Red was warm. 

Maybe this…

 

_ Another place and time, without a warning sign _

_ And we could be dying angel style _

_ I'll sell my soul to dream you wide awake _


	2. War

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I AM SO SORRY I FORGOT I POSTED THIS.
> 
> CHAPTER TWO IS DONE BUT I NEED TO WRITE THE REST.
> 
> (Imma so so so so sorry.) (I really am)

_ 2\. War _

 

 

_ Turn the page I need to see something new _

_ For now my innocence is torn _

_ We cannot linger on this stunted view _

_ Like rabid dogs of war _

  
  


_ my paladin _

(Twisted jealousy, wings on his back, fire dancing over his skin. Golden eyes, golden energy, fireflies in his hands. Smoke and mirrors around him, his feet bare, red staining his hands, arms, ink and blood, glowing in faint lines.)

(Veronica is dancing Tango on shards of glass, her hands reaching towards him, eyes gentle, dress white and stained with bits and pieces of a myriad galaxies. He wants to move but he can’t.)

( _ He can’t. _ )

_ wake up my paladin _

“His heartbeat is stable, he might wake anytime. Though I’m not sure i want him to.”

“He will learn to cope, love.”

“He lost half his hand, Al, I…”

“You lost more and you are far from depressed or angry or anything.”

“I had a choice. He… look at him, Al, he is… just a child. And i know I saw his face somewhere... ”

Two voices, both male. One sounded sad, but melodic, beautiful, like a lullaby, the other had a rough edge to it. 

It reminded him of Keith, if Lance was honest.

He tried to move.

His arm throbbed, he gasped, someone cursed.

The wave of emotions that suddenly just crashed over him felt more like an assault than anything.

_ sorry sorry my paladin not fast enough too far too much too long asleep my paladin safe help safe safe alive my paladin my paladin my paladin _

_ alive alive alive _

“Red…”

Another surge of mind blowing pain crashed through his head, his lips felt chapped, burning, his throat too.

He could not move his arms. 

“Red…”

“Kid? can you hear me?”, the soft voice, closer, a touch on his shoulder, soft, so soft, careful, “Try to open your eyes. Slowly, wait, don’t. Al, light.”

“What?”, laughter. He liked this voice. He liked both of them. 

“Please turn off the light, oh dear husband of mine”, melodic and dry, pretty, Lance wondered if this man could sing, “I don’t want the kid to be blinded. Bad enough he…”

Bad enough he what?

Lance didn't want to open his eyes. This didn’t sound good.

The light behind his eyelids dimmed. 

“Okay, kiddo, time to open your eyes. It’s dark enough in here, it’s fine, I promise.”

The hand on his shoulder was calloused, but gentle, slowly mowing towards his neck and when Lance finally, finally opened his eyes, all he could see was white and red.

White hair, red eyes, red like his Red, beautiful, but old. The alien was oddly humanoid, aside from his bluish skin and the four arms, face covered in millions of tiny, tiny scars, his right eye covered by a patch, even though Lance swore that there was something metallic underneath the cloth.

“Hey there, you gave us quite the scare, kid.”

“Not a… kid… Lance…”, Lance tried to smile, he really, really tried, but he could barely move and think, let alone talk… It was a pain in his ass. Mostly a pain in general though. Not just his ass.

“Okay, fine, Lance, you are most probably in pain, don’t even try to deny that. Do you think you can sit up?”, the alien reached out towards him, a warm hand settling on his back, pulling Lance up, the second set of hands carefully arranging the pillows behind him to keep him comfortable, “Well, nevermind. Here, drink this, it should help with the pain… assuming it works for your kind.” A cup with a suspicious purple liquid was thrust in Lance’s face and he sniffed at it before he felt Red tug at his mind. A wave of reassurance washed over him, with a tinge of sadness and almost broken calm, barely hiding her worry and desperation to see him better, so Lance just sucked it up and emptied the cup in one go. He did not regret it. It tasted awfully close to how the feet of his brother had smelled when he was a kid. 

Lance almost smiled at the memory. Almost.

His throat still burned though.

“Well?”

A gasp and a careful sigh of relief, Lance fell back on the pillows, his muscles relaxing, “Better…”

“Awesome, it worked, I was worried for a tic… Sooo… Well…”

Again, he stared at the alien, only now noticing the prosthetics, his right arms were both metallic and glowing softly in the dim light of the room, illuminating the mans face, which seemed, now that Lance could get a better look at then, since he was not in pain and actually awake now, younger that he expected. He was eyeing Lance like you would look at a wounded animal, cautious, curious, waiting for… something. 

“Well, Lance, I would love to hear your story sometime, how you got here… Or how you even survived that crash for that matter, but I am pretty sure that…”

“Red, is Red safe?”, the more Lance talked, the better his voice got, but it was still somewhat raspy, and he tried to cling onto the blanket, just to have something to ground himself, but his fingers still felt weak and useless. 

The man followed his movement and something flashed in his eyes, something sad, but far too quick to really name, “You mean that gigantic red, sentient spaceship of yours? Yeah, it’s fine, out of energy and a little bit worse for wear, but nothing we can’t fix with time. You will need it anyway.”

The last part was murmured and finally Lance looked down at his hands. Well… His hand and… 

“Oh.”

Lance blinked. He blinked again, but the image of a bandaged hand and the other so much thinner did not disappear.

His left hand was missing most of its fingers.

_ my paladin sorry not fast enough pain too far too slow _

_ too much _

“It’s fine, Red, it…”, Lance tried to breathe. He tried but suddenly there was not enough air in his lungs, not enough space in his chest, too much too soon, his hand, he could feel his fingers, why…

Why could he not see them?

His vision blurred, he gasped, eyes wide, stinging, but he just kept staring.

At his hands. 

He could not breathe, he could not think.

and then there was the warmth, someone grabbing his shoulder and shoving his face between his legs, “Kid, fuck, don’t you dare die on me now. I dragged you out of the void, I won’t let you go there again. Listen to me, can you hear me? Concentrate on my voice, breathe, in, out, in, out. Good.”

Lance gasped, the fresh air burning cold in his lungs, the other man still rambling, talking to him and pulling him out of… whatever had happened. 

His hand was still missing fingers. 

And then everything came crashing down on him. 

He was alone god knows where. 

alone, stranded in space. 

If this alien man was telling him the truth, then Red was just as out of commission as he was and he was missing vital parts of his body, he was weak and useless and his friends...

_ His friends. _

He had no idea if they were safe. 

“I… Anyone… else?”, he sounded desperately hopeful, even to himself, as he glanced up, into a red eye.

“Sorry, you were the only one.”, there was no pity in that eye, only worry and some sort of understanding, almost like a shared fate. 

It did not make him feel better, but it didn’t make it worse either.

“I…”

“There is little I can tell you. The only thing I know is that you crashed into the fields outside of town and that my son was the one to find you. That blasted ship of yours tried to keep you inside, but we talked it into giving you to us so we could patch you up. It is in the back, if you are wondering, my kids are having a look at it as we speak. But you come first. I know this is awful and confusing, but I promise, we will help, kid. All of us. You are a paladin of Voltron and you have done so much for us, I promise we will help.”

“Where…”

“Difficult to say where we are exactly right now, this is a somewhat nomadic trading post, I could ask Al later if you want. Should still be in the Sayrin System, but who knows, I am an engineer, not a navigator.”, the man shrugged, his voice still calm, still holding Lance, eye still gentle and still just as careful, “Maybe you should rest. For now at least, we can discuss everything later, when you are feeling better.”

_ my paladin safe good people safe rest sleep lonely alone safe fine _

_ we will be fine _

“No… I feel… better. Please… I… need…”

Water. Another cup suddenly at his lips, this one smelling somewhat like tea.

“Careful with this one, don’t drink too fast.”

Is smelled like tea it, it tasted like tea, it was bitter as hell and Lance was ready to die a happier man now that his thirst was gone. He closed his eyes and sighed, his fingers twitched as he was slowly put back into a lying position.

“Rest, kid. Things will be better in the morning.”

His eyes stayed closed, but he heard the man stand up and leave, the light disappearing completely, leaving Lance alone with his thoughts and Red in the back of his mind.

She seemed just as tired, her touch just as lost, her warmth all around him, as he tried to sleep, but he wasn’t tired, just exhausted and numb.

_ rest _

“Can’t…”

 

_ With no-one wearing their real face _

_ It's a whiteout of emotion _

_ And I've only got my brittle bones to break the fall _


End file.
